Ep. 129 — Breaking The Glass Ceiling With Liz

Most people who broke into six figures didn't start there — and thinking they're somehow "different" is the first barrier to getting there yourself. Liz, the voice behind Chief Mom Officer, spent years in a low-paying call center role before systematically hacking her way to a six-figure IT career. Her climb wasn't luck or overnight success — it was strategic use of company education reimbursement, relentless volunteering for high-visibility projects, and knowing when to jump ship for better pay. Here's how she did it, and what you can borrow from her playbook.

Key Takeaways:

• Utilize Education Reimbursement: Leverage company benefits like education reimbursement to further your career. 00:05:54
• Volunteer for Growth: Take initiative by volunteering for projects to build skills and enhance your network. 00:14:36
• Research Your Worth: Understand your value in the job market to negotiate better salaries. 00:33:09
• Embrace Change: Each change in Liz's career led to new opportunities and salary increases. 00:36:26
• Continuous Improvement: Improvement is a lifelong journey; success comes from strategic hard work. 00:21:25

Chapters:

• 00:00:41 Introduction and Listener Question
• 00:03:01 Liz's Career Journey
• 00:05:54 Company Reimbursement Insights
• 00:14:36 The Importance of Volunteering
• 00:25:03 Lifelong Learning and Negotiation Skills
• 00:36:55 Embracing Change and Growth
• 00:41:06 ChooseFI Hot Seat

Key Quotes:

• "When I started my career, I thought people who made six figures were different people than I was." 00:03:43
• "You can always get better. You can always improve." 00:02:09
• "Each change has brought about new opportunities as well as in many cases, jumps in salary." 00:36:26
• "If you want to work towards something else, you have to work hard strategically." 00:21:25
• "Most of us, it's going to take a lot of work, a lot of time, some level of luck, and being positioned." 00:39:01

Terminology:

• BATNA: Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement; helps identify your alternatives. 00:32:47
• ZOPA: Zone Of Possible Agreement; the range where an agreement is satisfactory to both parties. 00:33:09
• Career Hacking: Using strategic approaches to leverage education and experience for career advancement. 00:01:30

Guest: Liz from Chief Mom Officer, a six-figure breadwinner who shares insights on career development. Connect at ChiefMomOfficer.org or on Twitter @LizOfficer and Instagram @Liz_ChiefMomOfficer.